A Bakeneko's Jinx
by Hawkflight7
Summary: It's hard to tell when it happened. When her entire world turned upside down.


**Pet Shop of Quixotic Horrors - Episode Two: A Bakeneko's Jinx**

 **Summary: It's hard to tell when it happened. When her entire world turned upside down.**

 **Yes, I swapped the cat and master persona between the two; because I love irony.**

A meow,

Fills her ears,

As she watches,

The little paw,

Swipe at the bell,

Dangling from her hand.

She laughs,

As the kitty pounces,

On the bell,

Trapping it beneath,

Its paws.

"Having fun?"

Naho asks,

As Sayaka rolls the bell,

Across the ground,

From one paw to the next.

Another meow,

Fills the air,

And she smiles,

At the tortoiseshell kitten,

Her new pet.

 _Her whole body_ _rumbles_ _,_

 _As a finger,_

 _Scratches at the spot,_

 _Behind her ear._

 _There's a knock,_

 _At the door,_

 _And Naho gets up,_

 _Leaving her,_

 _To open the door._

 _She watches,_

 _As her owner smiles,_

 _At the man,_

 _Before calling back,_

 _To her,_

 _"Behave yourself,"_

 _And disappears,_

 _Out the door._

 _She is gone,_

 _For hours._

 _Sayaka nudges,_

 _The empty bowl,_

 _With her nose,_

 _Pushing it,_

 _Right up against the door,_

 _And letting out a caterwaul,_

 _In the still air._

 _She sleeps,_

 _In front of the door,_

 _That night,_

 _So she hears Naho,_

 _Slip back in._

 _But it's not,_

 _Out of the ordinary,_

 _For her to come home late._

 _As long,_

 _As it is just work._

 _As long,_

 _As she doesn't forget,_

 _The terms she agreed to,_

 _When she took Sayaka from,_

 _Count D's Pet Shop._

She is putting the papers,

In her bag,

But stops short,

From leaving.

There are so many things,

She wants to discuss with him,

To learn,

Yes,

But also,

To just talk about him,

Them.

That's what she wants,

Even if he is her senior,

Her mentor,

She wants more.

So she stays,

Finding new things,

To talk about.

 _Her maw,_

 _Is resting,_

 _On her paws,_

 _As she stares at the door._

 _Naho is late,_

 _Again,_

 _For the tenth time,_

 _And after the second one,_

 _Her bowl remains empty._

 _Only filled in the mornings,_

 _But Naho wasn't here,_

 _The other day either._

 _At the sound,_

 _Of footsteps,_

 _Her ears flick up,_

 _But they pass right by,_

 _The apartment._

 _And she knows,_

 _She has been forgotten._

She is talking animatedly,

To him,

Having spent the night,

When he glances to the clock.

"Thank you,

"For all your help,

"But I have a meeting now.

"I'm sure you have,

"Similar engagements,

"To attend as well."

"Of course,"

She agrees.

"I'll see you again,

"In a few days,

"Kibiki sensei."

When she leaves,

She is smiling,

Heading to work,

Stopping at the counter,

To sign in.

She has a interview today,

To talk about the occult,

Everything,

And anything supernatural.

"You're not in here."

"Check under n,"

She tells the person,

Behind the counter.

"Name?"

For a moment,

She stares at him,

She had been here,

Plenty of times,

Has seen this man,

Every time,

And after the first,

Public event,

He has been,

Familiar with her.

No,

He knew who she was,

Before her first event.

"Stop joking.

"I have an interview today.

"Your station is broadcasting it,

"On the show."

She begins to walk,

Around the desk,

To the door labeled,

Guest.

"I'm sorry,

"But I need a name,

"To check,

"If you're allowed back there."

This new game,

Is getting old fast.

"It's Naho Saenoki,

"Famous Paranormalist.

"You know that."

The man just stares at her,

Blankly,

Then reaches for the phone,

"We got a girl up here,

"Pretending to be...

" _Someone_ ,

"Send security."

She is in shock,

When security takes her,

From the building,

Requesting that she,

 _Naho Saenoki_ ,

Not make jokes,

And go back to school.

She hurries back home,

To check her prior appointment,

It's all there.

What had they been talking about?

How could they not _know_ her?

It's only after,

She glances around the house,

That she notices something off.

Sayaka has yet to meow at her,

To greet her,

And when she shakes,

The freshly filled,

Bowl of food,

There is no answer.

She spends minutes,

Then hours,

Looking for her cat,

To find nothing.

But the window,

The door,

Everything was locked.

How _could_ she disappear?

Naho has her phone,

In hand,

Within the next second.

"Count,

"You have to help me-"

"You broke your contract."

"I-I suppose,

"I did,

"But I can't find Sayaka anywhere.

"And-and everyone I know,

"Is forgetting who I am."

"I told you,

"The shop is not liable,

"For what happens,

"If you don't follow the terms,

"We agreed on."

"So this is your fault!"

"No,

"Miss Naho,

"The fault is your own."

There is a _click_ ,

On the other end,

And the line goes dead.

She is striking the key pad,

To phone him again,

When she sees her calendar.

Empty of the previous appointments,

And the photo,

Next to it,

Of her and Sayaka,

That now only holds the cat.

At the sound of Kibiki's voice,

Outside her apartment,

She springs to her feet.

Finally,

Someone that could help her,

To make sense of all this.

But she stops,

In her doorway,

After swinging the door open,

And calling out,

To Kibiki.

There is a girl,

Standing next to him,

Arm looped through his own,

Leaning against him,

As she talks,

About the vacant -

Supposedly haunted

\- building in front of them.

Her brown hair curls,

In waves,

Around her face,

Blue eyes sparkling,

A beauty mark,

Below her right cheek,

On smooth,

Tanned skin.

And she's wearing,

The same uniform,

Of the school,

Naho attends.

"Sayaka?"

She stares at the cat,

The _girl_ next to Kibiki,

Who raises one hand,

Fingers curled,

Into the shape,

Of a paw,

When she waves,

 _"Ja ne."_

 **Sayaka is depicted here as a Bakeneko.**


End file.
